Usefulness of the Tactile Sensor for Estimating the Degree of Liver Fibrosis and the Dna Synthesis Activity of Remnant Liver Cells After Partial Hepatectomy

Abstract

Background I Purpose. Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan also have liver cirrhosis. Therefore, reliable information about liver function is essential before undertaking liver resection. Occasionally preoperative estimates and intraoperative findings are disparate. This study used rats with liver fibrosis and a new tactile sensor to determine whether quantification of liver hardness intraoperatively can be used to validate the preoperative assessment of liver function prior to hepatectomy. Methods. Liver fibrosis was induced by administration of thioacetamide to rats. Laparotomy was performed. In some rats, blood samples were taken for examination, and liver stiffness and tactile values were measured by a new tactile sensor. A biopsy specimen from each removed liver was taken, and the hepatic fibrosis index was measured by computed color image analysis after Azan blue staining. The other rats underwent partial hepatectomy, and the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index was calculated in them. Correlations between stiffness, tactile values, and other data were calculated. Results. A strong correlation existed between stiffness and both the hepatic fibrosis index and the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index, and between tactile values and both the hepatic fibrosis index and the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index. Conclusions. Liver hardness proved to be a function of hepatic fibrosis. The tactile sensor proved to be an easy and reliable way to evaluate the hepatic fibrosis index. Quantification of liver hardness by tactile sensor predicted liver regenerative activity.

Modulation of extracellular matrix by nutritional hepatotrophic factors in thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis in the rat

“…The slowly developing TAA cirrhosis model has proven to be morphologically well defined and uniform (16) and to resemble the major features of human cirrhosis, with less mortality than other models of chemical cirrhosis (17). Nevertheless, a problem in the TAA models (18)(19)(20) is that apparently the animals become adapted to the drug.…”

Tactile Sensor Is Useful for Estimating Liver Hardness and Liver Fibrosis Compared With Ultrasonography and Computed Tomography

“…Hatakeyama et al investigated the quantification of liver hardness of cirrhotic rats using a new tactile sensor. The results indicated that it was possible to measure liver hardness (tactile values) rapidly and accurately with the sensor, and the tactile values showed a highly significant correlation with HFI and liver regenerative activity 12,18) . Furthermore, Hatakeyama et al reported that tactile values had a highly significant correlation with HFI in clinical cases 19) .…”

Tactile tissue characterisation by piezoelectric systems

“…For the detection and characterisation of different tissue, Hatakeyama et al [6] has developed a tactile piezoelectric sensor system. These sensors are not commercially available anymore and presumably not sensitive enough to be used during neurosurgery.…”